


The State and Heart

by TeaGal



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Always a girl!Edward, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Author's First Longfic, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Female Edward Elric, Genderswap, Mistaken for Being in a Relationship, Plotty, Post-Canon, Romance, Suspense, The Author Regrets Nothing, Trying for a slow burn, fem!Ed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-19
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-05-09 00:03:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14705325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaGal/pseuds/TeaGal
Summary: Lieutenant General Roy Mustang received an offer for a transfer to Central Command, under the condition that he had to get married within a year. He then struck a deal with Edelweiss Elric, one she could not refuse.





	1. Keeping Up Appearances

**Author's Note:**

> All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended. If anything is found familiar outside of the Fullmetal Alchemist world. It is but an accident.
> 
>  
> 
> This story takes place 6 years after Promised Day (Spring 1915). The year is 1921.

It was tradition that should Roy Mustang meet with Führer Grumman, they would discuss matters of state over a game of chess. Clacking sounds of wooden pieces against a similar surface permeated the Führer’s office as they played.

Roy studied the board in front of him, determined to emerge victorious this time. He felt Grumman’s gray eyes on him—no doubt trying to gauge his next move. Grumman was a skilled chess player; if he were to win this game, he would have to play aggressively. Thinking of all the possibilities presented in front of him, he decided to move his knight into his enemy’s domain.

“A bold move, Mustang,” Grumman said, stroking his distinguishable handlebar-mustache. “This is more challenging than I’d anticipated. Have you been practicing lately?”

“You’re flattering me, Your Excellency,” Roy said smoothly. “I hardly have the time with all the restructuring and rebuilding efforts in Ishval.”

Grumman nodded and moved a chess piece to flank his attack. “Tell me more of the Ishvalans’ response to the efforts.”

“They are still wary of our efforts, but that is to be expected.” Roy paused to move another chess piece. “Though they are gaining confidence in us, thanks to Colonel Miles and his unit.”

“And the agricultural side of things? Still having issues?” Grumman positioned yet another chess piece defensively.

“There are many Ishvalans that still distrust alchemists, making it rather difficult to get a botanic alchemist out to help with the process.” Roy paused to move yet another chess piece. “They are resilient people though and have a lot of pride in their work. While the land may be too arid for agriculture, they are putting a lot of effort into making it more fertile.”

“And the railway project?”

“On schedule and should be fully operational in the next couple of months. The trade route between Ishval and the country of Xing would be established, and if everything goes as planned, Ishval would be restored to its former glory or even better as it is going to be the main trading route between Amestris and Xing.” Roy paused and raised a single eyebrow. “It is… all in the report, Your Excellency.”

“Now, now…” Grumman chuckled and made a move to take one of Roy’s chess pieces. “Who else would I call to play chess with me? Besides, you of all people would know how monotonous paperwork can get.”

Roy allowed a small laugh. Yes, he agreed that paperwork are a bore—he had several stacks of them on his desk, waiting to be addressed. Nevertheless, he would like to know the real reason why he was here at Central Command.

“That is true…” He moved a chess piece to an advantageous square. “But you wouldn’t have asked me to travel all the way from Eastern Command for a simple report—by the way, that’s _check_.”

“So it is,” Grumman suddenly smirked, moving his king away. His glasses glinting as it caught the light coming from the windows. “When are you going to ask my granddaughter’s hand in marriage?”

That question did nothing to rattle Roy. It was an old question and had been repeated often since Grumman had found out about their relationship—which had ended long ago. Perhaps he was waiting for them to rekindle their relationship, but Roy knew this was not the reason why he was being asked, and certainly not why he was called out to Central. _He’s trying to make me lose focus,_ he thought.

“With all due respect, Your Excellency, your granddaughter and I have not been in a romantic relationship since the aftermath of the Ishval Civil War.” He moved another chess piece, not willing to lose his advantage in the game.

Grumman seemed undeterred by his response and moved another chess piece. “That’s a shame. I would have liked to see her married to a Führer.”

And there it is. That had to be the reason why he was here. Grumman was ready to talk about his plan of succession. Still, he had to tread carefully. He did not want to appear too eager, even though they both knew that that was his career goal.

Once again, Roy raised an eyebrow. “Careful… you wouldn’t be implying that a mere Lieutenant General from East HQ be a candidate over the more qualified Generals in Central Command. That would cause a dispute among the top brass.” He moved yet another chess piece.

“Ah! But you see, I _was_ the mere Lieutenant General from East HQ that was made Führer—”

“Touché.”

“—after the coup d’état you’d initiated six years ago.” Grumman made a move to take one of Roy’s chess pieces. “You would’ve been the Führer then, but you had relinquished that honor to me. Now, I have a few years ahead of me, however, one of my Generals will be retiring in a year and I would like you to accept the transfer to Central and the promotion to General when the time comes.”

“I would be honored to accept that promotion… What’s the catch?”

“Why would you think that there is one?” Grumman said, his tone, innocent.

“There are several good candidates for this promotion. General Armstrong to name one… and then there’s General Saulnier of West HQ.” He moved a chess piece to another square. “I am sure they would not be happy to hear an upstart getting that transfer.” He recalled his previous transfer to Central under the late Führer Bradley’s rule. It was not a popular move.

Grumman nodded. “They are both strong contenders. However, it is your vision for the country that tipped the scale.” He moved a chess piece and pronounced his advantage with a _check_. “The _catch_ —as you so eloquently put it—for the transfer to go through is that you will have to find yourself a wife before the year is up.”

Roy tried to suppress his reaction but it must have shown on his face; Grumman’s mouth shaped itself into a self-satisfied smirk. He quickly recollected himself. _Where is the old man going with this?_

“Surely that is not necessary,” Roy said. He was proud that he managed to keep his voice steady and nonchalant. His eyes scanned the chess board and he moved his king away; he can still save this.

“Being unmarried is a political liability… especially when you have an eye on the throne,” Grumman said—suddenly aggressive in his chess play—he moved his queen.

Contemplating Grumman’s words, Roy sighed and said, “I appreciate you watching out for my well-being. But I have gotten this far without a wife and certainly will not be married by the end of the year.” He moved a piece on the board, but he could feel his concentration slipping.

“You should have no problems getting a good woman interested. Why… when word gets out that you are looking to settle down, I’ll wager that there will be ladies fighting tooth and nail to be the wife of a man with your looks and prestige,” Grumman teased. He made another aggressive move on the board.

“While this is all very flattering, I do not want a sycophant for a wife nor do I have any intentions of settling down anytime soon,” Roy said, hoping that Grumman would drop the subject. He moved a chess piece carelessly.

“I suggest you reconsider your stance on this, or I might just have to rescind the transfer offer. Even the late King Bradley was married, Mustang,” Grumman said in a very casual tone, in contrast with the weight of his words.

Roy narrowed his eyes as the Führer continued.

“Your efforts in Ishval put you in a good light. Your prowess in battle is legendary. You are dubbed the _Hero of Ishval_ for all the lives you had saved… however, there are people who fear that power.”

A loud sound resounded in the room when Grumman struck his knight on to the board. His face turned serious.

“With the direction you want to take this country, you will need more than your war hero status on your belt. The image of a family man goes a long way. The population and even your fellow officers will question your ability to take care of their families as you don’t have one of your own. They would be afraid of the kind of decisions you may make. While I would not hesitate to show you my support, I’m afraid you will have to win the hearts of your peers and your countrymen.”

And finally, as if to mitigate the effect of his words, his face lightened up with a silly grin on his face. “By the way, that’s _checkmate_.”

Roy could not help but shake his head over the predicament he found himself in. The Führer got him and got him good.

“That is hardly fair, Your Excellency. You’ve distracted me with all this talk of… marriage.”

“As they always say, ‘ _all’s fair in love and war_ ’,” Grumman chuckled and then grinned widely. He pulled out a pen and a small notebook from his pocket to jot down their score and then mumbled to himself.

Even though Roy was still stunned by the sudden turn of events, with a sinking feeling in his stomach, he began to examine the hand he had been dealt.

With his high rank and reputation, he had always afforded help to those who needed it, making him very popular among the underdogs; but they are not the ones he would need to convince. The Führer would nominate his successor, but it would be the top brass and the Generals from each province who would vote for their successor. Should they be unhappy with the Führer’s choice they may even select another candidate. Such are the ways of Amestrian stratocracy.

Roy was confident that his contributions to the country would be enough to sway most of the Generals. However, the probability of them choosing one of their own—the top brass—were much higher. The country had also been more peaceful since King Bradley’s deposition, and the need for war heroes was diminishing. Perhaps Führer Grumman was right in seeking someone with a _family man_ image.

This promotion was an opportunity he couldn’t miss. Should one of his rivals get that promotion instead, it would be all that much harder for him to ascend to the top. He understood Grumman’s stand on this, but having to find himself a wife under these circumstances was not palatable.

He was shaken from his train of thoughts when he saw a thick folder held in front of his face. Roy blinked and looked at it for a couple seconds more before he moved to receive it from Grumman. “What is this?”

“I took the liberty of compiling dossiers of the most eligible bachelorettes in Amestris.”

Not missing the mischievous grin on Grumman’s face, he sighed, defeated. “You’ve been planning this for a while… I should have known.”

Grumman’s features soften. “Don’t look so downhearted. Who knows? You’ll probably thank me one day. The ball is in your court now, so do what you will with the dossiers. I hope to be invited to your wedding soon.” He stood at attention and Roy followed suit. “You are dismissed, Lieutenant General.”

“Führer Grumman,” he saluted and walked out the door.

* * *

 Once outside the door, Lieutenant General Roy Mustang took a deep breath and walked down the corridor. He schooled his face into a well-practiced, confident expression—even though he felt anything but. The many soldiers that he passed would stand at attention and salute when they saw the insignia on the epaulet of his pristine, cobalt-blue uniform. They would then burst into hurried whispers when they thought he was out of audible range.

“…that’s the Hero of Ishval…”  
“…I heard he’s quite the ladies’ man…”  
“…who is that General?…”  
“…is that the Flame Alchemist?…”  
“…he looks too young to already be a General…”  
“…do you think he’ll ask me out?…”

Roy did not react to the whispers. It was not new. He knew he attracted attention wherever he went and was used to being a subject of curiosity. So he fashioned himself to fit what he wanted others to see.

As he made his way to the elevator, he greeted other officers of rank, showing his personable and flamboyant character. As he sauntered through the reception hall, he flashed a charming smile to the female sergeant; rousing the blush on her face. And as he exited the building and strode through the compound of Central Command, he nodded towards the enlisted men and greeted them; causing surprise as they were not used to being acknowledged by officers of his rank.

He made his way towards his car. His adjutant waiting. She gave him a salute and opened the door for him. He, in turn, gave her a nod and stepped inside as she closed the door behind him and then proceeded to the driver’s seat. All this was done so fluidly, displaying a manner of practiced professionalism between him and his subordinate.

Finally away from prying eyes, he shed his public façade. He loosened the jacket of his uniform and sat with a slouched posture. The confident expression he had held on his face is now replaced by an annoyed scowl. His brow furrowed as his hands fidgeted on the impressively sized folder—which felt very heavy, both literally and figuratively.

“Where to, General?”

The voice of his adjutant interrupted his thoughts. He looked up and saw the reflection of his adjutant in the rear-view mirror—she had a single eyebrow raised questioningly.

“Madame Christmas’,” he decided.

She had both eyebrows raised now. “Must be important… what did the Führer want?”

He exhaled, slightly irritated. “Just drive, Captain. I will explain once we’re there.”

“Yes, sir.”

* * *

 They stopped by their temporary accommodations at the Central Barracks to change into civilian clothing. Captain Riza Hawkeye made sure to do a few false turns and parked the car a few blocks away to ensure that they were not followed. Roy did not want to be caught entering a bar—a hidden secret, but many locals knew that the bar was a masquerade for a bordello.

Inside the bar, they were greeted warmly and with familiarity by the hostesses. Roy sent a dashing smile their way, a few hugs, and flattery. The hostesses pulled the Captain aside for some ladies’ gossip. So he headed towards the bar to the person he came by to visit. He took a seat.

At the bar, a heavy butch woman was cleaning some glasses. She looked about fifty but she was young and confident in style. Her face was heavily made-up, her dark wavy hair styled into a ponytail. She wore bright, glitzy clothing—it contrasted exceedingly with the austere look she carried on her face. She held a cigarette to her lips. When she notices Roy, she put down the rag and glass, then removed the cigarette for a puff, speaking in a scratchy alto voice.

“It’s been a long time, Roy-Boy.”

“Good evening, Madame Christmas.” Roy smiled meekly. _She still treats me like a child_ , he thought fondly.

“Are you doing well?” Madame Christmas asked.

“Nah… I’m not doing well at all. I came here to cheer myself up,” Roy said. Over the years, they had developed a way to communicate while hiding what they meant to those who were listening to them. He knew that she would have understood it as: _I’m in a predicament and am in need of your assistance._

She seemed to be giving him a scrutinizing gaze. “I see you brought Elizabeth.” _You brought your adjutant, this must be a serious matter._ She took another puff of her cigarette.

“She kindly agreed to be my drinking buddy tonight. I’m probably going to need help back as I plan to drink my sorrows away.” _We have much to discuss. It’s going to be a long night._

“I see… We have a room out back. Why don’t you and Elizabeth settle in and I’ll bring you two some drinks.” _Let’s talk in a more private setting._

“Fantastic hospitality as always, Madame.” _I knew I could always count on you, Mother_.

* * *

 Roy selected a jazz record just as the Madame entered the room with some glasses and a bottle of whiskey, locking the door behind her. A jazzy tune played in the background when she offered them both a glass: Riza kindly refused as she was the designated driver, Roy accepted it all too eagerly—he needed it.

“Roy-Boy, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today?”

Roy recounted the day’s event to the two women. By the end of his account, Riza was shaking her head and the Madame seemed to be deep in thought.

“I cannot believe that the Führer stooped to meddling with your private affairs,” Riza said. “What are you planning to do about this?”

He closed his eyes, he could feel the eyes of the two women on him, awaiting his answer. “If I am not married by the end of the year, all the work we put in for the past decade would be for naught.” He opened his eyes. “I need that transfer if I hope to be Führer.”

“Sir, with all due respect, this is ludicrous!” Riza argued. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow and ask him to rescind this…” the next word laced with disdain, _“prerequisite.”_

Giving her a small smile and grateful of her intentions, Roy shook his head. “That is considerate of you, but I have given it much thought.” He poured himself more whiskey and took a sip. “The Führer is right on the money with this one. It is as he said— _being unmarried is a political liability._ ” He took another sip of whiskey. “Though… he’s making blatant suggestions—you would not believe who he had put on the top of the list.” He gestured to the folder on the table.

Madame Christmas, who was listening intently to the exchange reached for the folder and opened it.

Riza who was sitting on the couch next to her looked at the first dossier. Her eyes immediately drawn to the familiar face on the picture on file; a blonde woman with fair skin, eyes of cognac-brown and a soft defined nose. Beautiful, only marred by the frown worn on her lips. She was staring at a picture of herself—her facial expression now matching the one in the dossier.

She muttered, unimpressed by the Führer’s antics. When she mentioned something about drawing her gun, Roy chuckled quietly, joked, and reminded her that she would be charged with treason, even if she was the Führer’s granddaughter.

From the corner of his eyes, Roy noticed that Madame Christmas looked unamused. She pulled a new cigarette out of the box. He instinctively put on his ignition glove and snapped his fingers, lighting her cigarette with a small display of fire alchemy.

Mumbling a thanks, she took a puff of her cigarette. “When the Führer asked me to gather this information.” She gestured to the folder. “I had no idea that I was gathering information on a potential daughter-in-law.”

Roy felt his jaw dropped and he heard Riza silently cursing at her grandfather’s audacity.

“The Führer got this information from you.” He stared blankly, not questioning. He knew his foster mother had some connection with Grumman so he was not surprised that he would use her to procure the information. It does make sense not to use official channels for this matter, it was just the gall of it all that left him dumbfounded.

The Madame shook her head and began to flip through the folder, taking out a dossier and then flipped through some more and picked out another. She repeated the process a few more times. “These…” she took the stack of dossiers she picked out and set them aside. “I do not approve of, so don’t even bother.”

“I see you are already picking out women that I should not bring home,” Roy said, slightly amused.

“Of course. If she’s going to be part of the family, might as well be someone we can tolerate.”

“Yes,” he said with a grim smile. His expression turned somber. “If I can’t marry for love then it must be someone who could elevate my political prestige.”

Madame Christmas and Riza looked at him sympathetically before they start looking at the files seriously.

“Armstrong, Amue—”

“Oh dear God—No.” Roy quickly vetoed the suggestion.

The dossier went into the mentioned rejected pile.

“Armstrong, Catherine. Youngest daughter of Philip Gargantos Armstrong. A well-respected family with old aristocratic bloodline. Wealthy, Her hobbies are—”

“The only thing she has going for her is her pedigree. I don’t need her family’s backing nor wealth. She lived a sheltered life, I doubt she can take the stress and pressure that comes from being a first lady.” Roy said.

“Armstrong, Olivi—”

“Is both my rival and ally.” Roy interrupted. “She hates my guts.”

“Armstro—”

“Let’s just skip the entire Armstrong family,” Roy said as he started feeling a little ill. _The Armstrong ladies,_ he thought, _are in a league of their own._ He took a swig of his drink.

“Okay then,” Madame Christmas moved all of the Armstrong’s dossier to the pile. “Ashton, Laura. Daughter of a minor alchemist in South City—”

“Does she still lives in South City?” Roy asked.

“Yes, sir,” Riza said as she skimmed through the dossier.

“Then no. Just remove everyone that are not in East or Central. I can’t very well neglect my work just to woo some unsuspecting woman hundreds of miles away.” He was getting irritated. _How did Grumman even come up with this list?_ he thought.

And so began the long tedious process. The process was stressful for Roy as he was nursing his drink the entire time. Every time Riza or Madame Christmas thought they found someone he might be happy with, he would reject it. Honestly, he did not want to deal with this. His mind knew that this had to be done, but his heart was not ready, and the alcohol was not helping. While he chose objectively, he knew some of the ladies he rejected were due to petty reasons.

“What are you looking for Roy-Boy?” Madame Christmas asked, “I know this is difficult, but you can’t reject every single one for mundane reasons. You will have to make a decision, it takes time to woo a woman into marriage after all.”

He looked at her dead in the eyes. “I am looking at this objectively.” He argued. “I’m not just picking myself a wife, but a future first lady. Everything she does will reflect on me. Her political stance has to line with mine. She has to be intelligent, so she does not do anything that could ruin my political image.” He took a big gulp of his whiskey. “I made a lot of enemies getting to where I am now and will have more when I am Führer. She will have to be able to defend herself should the need arises. And since I’m expected to—”

“This might work!” Riza interrupted suddenly.

Madame Christmas scanned the dossier that Riza held up. “She certainly fits the bill.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Let me see that,” Roy said. He took one look at the file and grimaced. “No.”

Both women then protested, citing that she fits all his requirements and then some more. Roy held up both his hands in the air and waited for them to calm down.

“She is too reckless.”

“Yet she has the love of the population,” Madame Christmas said.

Roy took yet another swig of his drink, “She is too young.”

“You had never treated her like a child when she was your subordinate,” Riza said pointedly.

“That was work. I was not trying to woo her—I’m thirty-six.”

“And she’s twenty-two. She hasn’t been a child for years,” she countered.

“You are seriously suggesting this,” he realized.

“We’ve spent hours deliberating over all these dossiers and she’s the only one that fits all your requirements,” Madame Christmas chimed.

Riza continued. “And she’s not a complete stranger like most of these other women. You respect her and she respects you—”

“She hardly respects me, have you not heard our yelling matches?” he scoffed.

“Only because you make it a mission to goad her every time you see her,” she said. “At the end of the day, she has stood by you no matter the odds.”

He began to make a remark but Madame Christmas interjected. “What Elizabeth is trying to say is that we are looking out for you Roy-Boy. I have not met this young woman personally, but her reputation precedes her. She may be the support you need to get all the way to the top. Now the question is, how are you going to proceed with this?”

To say that Roy was unhappy would be an understatement. He took another swig of his drink. He knew he would be suffering from a hangover the next morning. He muttered to himself and paced the room.

_She is reckless when it comes to the well-being of others, earning her a reputation as the Hero of the People. She is intelligent, definitely devious in her methods, but she gets favorable results. A close-combat expert, even calculating her inability to perform alchemy, she could hold her own. Definitely qualities I value in a partner. However, she can be callous in her demeanor. Honest to a fault. She’s too straightforward and appears arrogant._

He sighed and then picked up the dossier and looked at the picture of his former subordinate and potentially future bride-to-be, her golden eyes staring piercingly back at him.

“I must be crazy to be considering this.” He dropped the dossier into the fireplace, opened, bared for anyone in that room to see.

_Major Edelweiss Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist, Retired._

He picked up all the other dossiers and drop them into the fireplace as well. He proceeded to snap his fingers, burning the documents. The fire danced—licking and then devouring the dossiers. His precise control over the flames left no evidence of its existence.

When he left the bar, to any passerby he would have appeared to have had a few too many drinks that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) I hope you’ve enjoyed this so far, I definitely enjoyed writing it. Updates may be irregular due to my work schedule and life and such.
> 
> 2) English is NOT my native language, so I have occasional issues with grammar and spend a lot of time reviewing what I write. Sometimes, mistakes still slipped through my radar, so any criticism on grammar and/or word usage is definitely appreciated.
> 
> 3) This is my first attempt at a multi-chapter story. Future chapters are planned and outlined, it’s just a matter of me getting around my busy work schedule to write it.
> 
> 4) There are 28-30 chapters planned (if the direction of the story does not change as I write), so expect about 80-100k words when this is completed. (This is my first time guesstimating, so I may be off).
> 
> 5) Reviews are always welcomed. Whether it be a simple one sentence review or a long constructive criticism.


	2. Not My Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to: Reglee and transistor.robot(FFN) for beta-ing this chapter for me, nitpicking at problems that I did not realize were there. They’re amazing, do check out their work sometime.
> 
> This is an Ed chapter, so yes there will be some cussing. There are a couple of OCs, their roles are minor to this story. Consider yourself warned.

“What are you doing!? Pick up the pace!” Winry cried.

Edelweiss Elric quirked her eyebrows at her childhood friend. “I didn’t think you would be so passionate about anything other than automail.”

Winry rolled her blue eyes. “Automail is my one true love, but this is about Resembool’s pride.”

They were watching the sheep shearing contest at Resembool's Sheep Festival. The spectators in the benches around them shouted their support to their favorite contestant. The representative from their hometown was failing miserably. He was the most careful one among the junior division contestants, making sure that the sheep was comfortable and that he sheared the wool off in a single stroke. But the others were able to shear two or three sheep in the time it took him to shear one.

Edelweiss shook her head as Winry continued to holler. “The score will even up.”

“Are you blind, Ed? Look at how slow he’s going. It’s agonizing to watch.”

Edelweiss had been keeping tally in her head since the timer started. “The others are fast but they tend to run over the same spot a couple of times. When that happens, the wool that was sheared off is not the same length, rendering it useless. Points are taken off for that.” She tucked her bangs behind her ear, “I would say that he is hovering around third and fourth place.”

Winry seemed to calm down a little. “You’ve calculated that quickly—wait, how do you know so much about this?”

“I did grow up in Resembool too, you know,” Edelweiss scoffed. “And it’s something to do besides watching sweaty men wrestling with sheep.”

“Are you kidding?” Winry said. “Watching sweaty men wrestling with sheep _is_ the best part.”

Edelweiss met Winry’s mirthful gaze with her own and they burst out giggling. Both of them, women at the top of their respective fields, who would ever thought that they would be here ogling at sweaty country boys.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the junior round, and runners started to round up the sheep and tally the scores. Edelweiss knew the results before they announced it. If her calculations were correct, the contestant from Resembool would be in fourth place. _A shame_ , she shook her head. Sure enough, he placed fourth. Cheers were heard throughout the crowd as they showed their support to the competitors—Winry groaned beside her. She’d always had a competitive streak.

“I’m going to stretch my legs while they set up for the intermediate round. Do you need anything, Ed?”

“Lemonade sounds good about now,” Edelweiss pulled out her research journal and scribbled.

A cool breeze caressed her face, carrying the fresh scent of spring in the air. She took a moment to enjoy the stunning view Resembool had to offer. The competition used only a small portion of the vast green fields. Beyond the fields were rolling hills where daisies and dandelions sprouted from the lush green grass. Lambs were bleating and bluebirds were singing. She was home.

She turned her attention back to the journal and frowned. No matter how she looked at it, she was at a dead-end yet again. She wished Alphonse was here, perhaps he had made some advancement in their research. She chewed on the end of her pen and ran a free hand through her golden tresses. _There has to be something I’m missing._ _There has to be a way for me to retrieve my Gate. I refuse to give up now. If only—_

The sound of a tenor voice coming from above her shoulders jolted her. “I see you like traveling.”

Edelweiss’ head snapped up towards the voice, a handsome man was grinning at her. He stood out among the crowd like a sore-thumb. From the way he was dressed, she could tell that he was a visitor. He wore a short suit jacket, common for a man from the city but not practical wear in a rural village like this.

“What?” she said, her tone arrogant.

“I finally got your attention… your journal,” he gestured.

She was puzzled for a moment before she remembered that her journal was coded. It was so familiar to her that she did not even have to think about how to jot down her research. It was clear to her, but to everyone else—save her brother—it looked like a travel log. Still, she did not like it when others looked at it.

“Do you make it a habit to read a lady’s journal?” Edelweiss said.

He chuckled and took a seat next to her. “Not usually, but I wanted to get your attention. Looks like it worked.”

 _Not the usual pick-up line_ , she raised an eyebrow. “For now, Mr…”

He grinned. “It’s Shorter—”

She stifled a snicker. _Shorter? Really?_

“—Fred Shorter. I don’t need to ask who you are.”

She smirked, she had always liked it when people recognized her. The fame and symbolism that came with her old title—Fullmetal Alchemist—was an accomplishment that she was proud of. She did not mind hearing it from others even if it was just to stroke her hubris.

“You’re Winry Rockbell, I’ve heard a lot about you.”

 _Winry? Ouch. I think that bruised my ego a little._ “I think you’ve mistaken me for—”

“You have the most incredible eyes. Is that even natural?”

 _Yes it is natural, it’s called genetics, jerk._ “Shorter, I’m—”

“And a woman automail engineer to boot. Amazing. And please, call me Fred—”

 _A “woman” engineer, what does that even mean?_ “Are you insinuating—”

“Winry, can I call you Winry?”

Her eyes narrowed and he flinched. The combination of a bruised ego and being interrupted for the umpteenth time was more than enough to spark her temper.

“Miss Rockbell then.” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he gulped. “I heard you’re good friends with the Fullmetal Alchemist.”

 _I guess I’ll play along._ “You’ve heard right.”

“I’m an alchemist and would like to discuss some theories.”

“What’s your focus?”

“Doll, you would not—”

Edelweiss slapped him hard across his cheek. “Call me _doll_ again and I will hit you so hard your skinny ass will land in Drachma.”

She stood up and walked away, donning her red coat in one swift motion. She smirked in satisfaction when she heard him cursed behind her. Ignoring him, she picked up her pace. Perfect timing, Winry was walking towards her with a lemonade in hand.

“You’ve gotten quite an admirer there.” Edelweiss grumbled and grabbed Winry by the arm, pulling her away.

“Huh!? What’s going on?”

“Trust me. It’s better if we leave, now!”

* * *

 

When the evening came and most of the main events came to a close, everyone was settling down in a large barn house. Chefs were sharing their lamb recipes as they were being served buffet style with other refreshments. People were catching up, making new friends, and sharing tips and tricks of their trades. The barn was opened to allow the overflow of people to mingle outside where a live band played country music, with a bonfire keeping the nearby area illuminated.

Winry Rockbell heaved a sigh of relief when Edelweiss had finally calmed down. She spent a good part of the day listening to Ed rant about some guy named Shorter. While it was entertaining to watch Edelweiss riled up—as she had a very colorful vocabulary—she had not planned on spending their yearly reunion talking about some random guy.

She looked at the children—and a few parents—that gathered around Edelweiss at a corner of the barn. Silently and attentively, they listened to her retelling tales of her and her brother’s adventures during her State Alchemist years. Ed can be charismatic when she wanted to be, she made sure to use different, funny voices to represent various people and act it out with exaggerated movements, and the children loved it—as evident by their constant laughter.

It became an annual occurrence after they’ve shown up at the Sheep Festival about five years ago and a child had tugged on the sleeve of Ed’s red coat and asked if she was the Fullmetal Alchemist. The rest was history. Just for this particular occasion, she would wear her signature red coat with the serpent’s cross emblazoned on the back. In recent years, Ed had stopped wearing it when she realized it attracted too much attention during her travels.

“I see Ed’s no longer fuming.”

Winry responded without looking at her grandmother, Pinako. “Yup. The guy must have seriously offended her. She gets mad very quickly, but doesn’t usually stay mad for this long.”

Pinako took a puff out of her pipe. “Telling stories to the children must have cheered her up. She had always been good with kids. Alphonse is a testament to that.”

Winry giggled. “How Alphonse turned out to be such a gentleman after being raised by her is a mystery to me.”

“Speaking of Alphonse,” Pinako said. “Has Ed said anything about his absence?”

Winry hummed. “Yes, he’ll be traveling back by train when the Amestris-Xing railway is completed. It makes sense, traveling through the desert otherwise is so harsh.”

Pinako nodded. “By the way, did you notice that there seem to be quite a few of the military type around the festival today?”

“Ed pointed it out to me earlier.” She sighed and furrowed her brow. “I know we get a lot of visitors during the festival, but I can’t help but worry that something is going on. It’s a bit nerve-racking.”

Winry was a little anxious. She had a feeling that the presence of the military had something to do with Edelweiss. It was never good news when you put Ed and the military together.

She mingled a little with the other villagers, and that’s when Mary showed up. The village’s gossiper and self-proclaimed matchmaker. If you wanted to know anything about the ongoings of the village—and then some—she was the lady to talk to. Winry had no such luck trying to get any information about why the men in uniform were here; according to Mary, they were pretty tight-lipped.

“So… did that good-looking fella came by to talk to ya?” Mary said.

Winry furrowed her brow. “Who?” _Can’t be someone from Resembool, everyone knows everyone here…_

“The fella was watching the competition. He asked me who the blond was by the benches hollering at the junior division He seemed really intrigued by ya, and asked a whole bunch of questions. Oh hey, there he is right now with Edelweiss…”

It was not until Winry spun around and saw that Edelweiss was glaring daggers at a man that she put two and two together.

_Oh no. This is going to get messy._

* * *

 

Edelweiss gritted her teeth at Shorter. _Alright Ed, breathe, not in front of the kids. I’m at the tail-end of the story here, I should bolt after this._  

Edelweiss cursed in her head when the children begged her to tell them yet another story, closing the window for her escape.

“Just one more, Miss Elric,” a child whine.

“Yes please. Don’t let me interrupt you _Miss Elric_ , I would love to hear about your adventures,” Shorter said.

“I just need a little break, and I’ll be back later.” _Once I dispose of him._

The collective sounds of protest from the children made her hesitate. Boy, was she relieved when Winry maneuvered around the children and grabbed her wrist 

“Sorry children, I’m going to need to borrow Ed for a second. The circle dance is about to start and we need more women.”

Edelweiss allowed herself to be dragged away. “Thanks Winry, you’ve just saved me.”

“Oh I did not do this for free. You owe me a shopping trip,” she winked.

“Deal.”

They made their way out of the barn to join the dance circle by the bonfire outside.

The circle dance was a very simple dance, suitable for the children and elderly to participate in as it was neither too fast nor vigorous. She held her hand up to her partner on the right and the man did the same. When the music started, they would first stomp, then kick, then shuffle and repeat. Edelweiss made sure to not step on her partner’s toes or kick his shins, especially since her left leg was outfitted with Winry’s automail. After a couple of repetitions, they would spin and then the men would shuffle clockwise while the women would shuffle counter-clockwise along the circle, switching partners. It was a good way to make conversation and perhaps even catch the eye of a potential suitor.

Some of her partners were the villagers of Resembool who were only glad to see her back from her travels. She exchanged a few words and some good-natured teasing with them. The other partners were strangers that had come to the village for the festival, and their reactions were mixed. Some were too busy looking at their feet to notice her; some were star-struck when they realized who she was, and some tried to hit on her—to which she coyly deflected. And then finally—

“You!”

Shorter grinned smugly. “I’m glad I’ve left an impression.”

 _This arrogant bastard._ She scowled, “I believe I left one on you as well.” The imprint of her hand was fierce red on his cheek.

He grimaced. “I think we got off on the wrong foot.”

“You think?” She cocked an eyebrow.

“I made a mistake, really I should have known—you were always described as the do—” he paused when her eyes narrowed, “—woman with her blonde hair in braids, golden eyes, wearing a red coat with a serpent’s cross on the back, I did not realize it because you have your hair down and you weren’t wearing your coat at the time—”

She rolled her eyes. _A woman can have a variety of styles you know. Thank goodness we’re done with this set._

She was about to shuffle away in the dance circle, but he tightened his grip and stopped her. “—move along, buddy,” he told the other dancers, earning annoyed and confused looks from them. They shrugged and skipped them as to not disrupt the circle. _Strike one._

“What do you think you’re doing?” she hissed. She continued to dance not wanting to draw more attention to them, and shook her head towards the few concerned looking villagers who had noticed. She could handle this on her own.

“I just want to talk to you. I’m looking for some assistance in my alchemy research,” he said. He didn’t seemed like he cared about the commotion seemed he was causing.

“You have a strange way of asking for help.”

“Rumor has it that you had attached your brother’s soul to an armor.”

“It’s as you say, just rumors.” Her mind was whirling. Whatever it is that he wanted, it can’t be good.

“Even if it is just a rumor, you probably have a great understanding in bio-alchemy.”

“Just spit it out, Shorter. What do you want?”

“I’m in the field of chimeric research—”

“Forget it.”

He held her hand tight again to prevent her yet again from moving around the circle. The villagers who were keeping an eye out were getting antsy, but she held a free hand out to stop them from intervening. They stopped in their tracks and nodded to her. Only Shorter seemed oblivious to her agitation. _That’s strike two._

He blinked and frowned. “You haven’t heard what I—”

“I don’t have to. That field is experimental at best.” _And extremely unethical._ _Nina…_

“But imagine this. Chimeras with wings—our society could have a new mode of transportation. I’m talking about flight,” his eyes gleamed in excitement.

“Tell me, what happens to the souls when you transmute two living beings together?” she shot him a fiery glare.

His brow furrowed. “I-I’m not certain.”

“They fight for dominance over the body, and the soul that lost will have no body to attach itself to and die, the one remaining—if it survived—will have to live in a body that they do not recognize. It’s better if you turn your research elsewhere.”

She couldn’t continue with this conversation, just thinking about chimeric theories made her stomach turn. And all she could think of at this point was Nina. The little girl that she had played with, the very same girl who was transmuted with her dog all in the name of chimeric research. The little girl that she had failed to save.

She pulled on her hand, but yet again, he tightened his grip. _Strike three. That’s it asshole! Now how does this dance go again?_

 _Stomp._ She stomped on his foot with her left metal leg—he yelped. _Kick._ She kicked him on his shin with her right foot—he winced, and loosen his grip, she promptly freed herself.

“I’m so sorry, how clumsy of me.” She had both hands to her mouth and furrowed her brow to look concern, but she was smiling inwardly.

“You bitch!” He straightened himself, the music had stopped and everyone stared, but he was blinded with rage and embarrassment, his fingers curled into a fist and sent a punch toward her direction. With her quick reflex, she easily redirected it’s trajectory by pushing the back of his arm. He was about to punch her again when she saw a flash of blue and black from the corner of her eyes. A man in uniform stood in front of her, intercepting Shorter’s fist in his hand.

“Is there a problem?” the soldier said, his voice laden with authority.

 _That voice, could it be—_ Edelweiss scanned the back of the man standing in front of her. He was tall, with dark hair. While she couldn’t see his face, she knew who it was. She grinned. _Well, well. If it isn’t Roy Mustang._

“N-no problem sir, we were just dancing,” Shorter said.

“Does this dance involve using fists?” Mustang said.

“I-I—”

There was a pause before Mustang spoke again, icily. “Beat it.”

Shorter limped as he scurried away. Cheers were heard from the crowd that was watching. And now that the commotion was over, the music started up again and the folks returned to their dancing.

“I could have handled that you know, Mustang,” Edelweiss greeted him.

He spun around and met her gaze. He still looked the same. He kept his hair slightly unkempt, giving him a roguish look. But, his good looks were only secondary to the aura of sophistication and latent power that he carried himself with. One that she had admired over the years she had worked with the man.

“I take my eyes off of you and you’re already getting into trouble,” Mustang teased.

“It’s not my fault that Shorter would not leave me alone.” She shrugged.

“Shorter?” He smirked, his eyes flicked from the top of her head then back to her eyes. “If he’s Shorter than what does that make you? A bean?”

 _I take that back. I don’t admire him. I’ve just exchanged one bastard for another!_ She was not going to let Mustang have the satisfaction of her exploding into a string of profanities. Instead, she kept a perfect posture. She wanted to exude a calm demeanor. However, her shaking fists and piercing glare betrayed her intentions.

Mustang smirked and chuckled at her, and she knew she lost this round. Though she was pleasantly surprised when she managed to catch some of his mumbling. Something about her being grown-up.

He leaned closed to her, so that his face was right next to hers. Her eyes widened when she felt his breath tingling on her ear as he whispered.

“Play along, Fullmetal.”

He reached for her fist, smoothed it out, and held her hand. What was the man scheming about now?

She wanted to pull her hand away, but the way he looked at her with his unsearchable black eyes sent chills down her spine. If Mustang was here, something big had to be going on. Military men had been hanging around the festival since its start, which was why she had hung around despite Shorter. Her eyes darted around for any suspicious activity, not detecting anything out of the ordinary, except… Mustang was holding her right hand and had his other just below her shoulder blade.

_When did—?_

It was only when Mustang started to lead her in the country two-step that it dawned on her. She was dancing with the bastard. 

“Mustang, what’s going on? Why are we putting on a show?” she said in a hurried voice. Her eyes darted around, not meeting his gaze.

“There’s music, dancing—This is a good time to catch up.”

“Then the military?” She frowned and looked up to meet his probing gaze.

“The Captain doesn’t let me travel without a few bodyguards.”

“A phone call would have sufficed,” she sighed. She assumed the Captain was Riza Hawkeye, She must have been promoted since they had last met. Riza was the man’s shadow after all. “They’ve been here all day, you could have approached me sooner.”

“And miss the sheepdog trials? I’m sorry Fullmetal, but the dogs were more charming.”

She was irritated. The day had been maddening so far and it looked like it was going to be even more so. She wanted to know why they were dancing, to know what the manipulative man wanted. Perhaps he sensed that she was getting close to losing it, perhaps he could read her like an opened book, or perhaps he knew her well enough from when she was his subordinate. He knew just when to stop messing with her before she gets to the tipping point.

“Do you remember our 520 Cenz promise?”

Yes she had remembered that promise. The promise to return the money she had borrowed when he finally becomes the Führer. And then to borrow the same amount again and only returning it when he had turned this country into a democracy.

“Are you here to collect?” she said, not sure where his question was leading. “The country isn’t a democracy yet. Heck, you’re not Führer yet. Unless you’re here to announce the good news—”

“Not quite, “ he turned serious. “ I need to ask a favor from you, a huge one.”

“What do you mean?” She furrowed her brow. _Mustang is asking favors from me? This cannot be good._

“I need to use your reputation, your prestige as a stepping stone.”

“Oh, is that it? You know you have it.” She breathed a sigh of relief.  “You’d got me worried for a second.” That she could do. A few public appearances to appeal to the masses. No sweat.

“I need you to marry me.”

She laughed. “You’re joking.”

His black eyes were unreadable. There was no glint of mischief and no hint of his usual smugness.

“You’re not joking,” she said slowly. He shook his head.

 _What the fuck._  

* * *

The moon and the stars shone brightly in the night sky, illuminating her home. Well, what was left of her childhood home. There was hardly anything left except for foundation and rubble. 

She remembered the day she stood here watching it burn down. A sign of her resolve, she had convinced herself then. An illusion that her no-good-bastard-of-a-father had broken when he told her that she had burned it down to run away from what she had done.

Mistakes. She had made plenty. The remnants of her old home reminded her of her wrongdoings, her resolve to retrieve her brother’s body from the Gate, and all her strive to make it happen. In light of her present company, it had also reminded her of the man who had given her the opportunity to make things right. If he had not shown up at the Rockbells’ and given her the chance to redeem herself—a chance to save her brother—she may have had given up on life so many years ago. Perhaps he had counted on her remembering that.

Mustang had insisted on this location as it was a good vantage point; with his Captain keeping a lookout, they would be able to discuss the matter at hand without being heard. But she was not so sure that was the only reason for his choice. Mustang was a calculating man, after all.

They sat down on what used to be the wall of her living room, and Mustang explained the situation he was in. She would have laughed, teased and probably even mocked him, if the situation did not involve her. If the situation wasn’t so dire for their country. Under the rule of Führer Bradley, the country was almost lost. Sure he was a homunculi and did not care for humans, but it was only a matter of time before a corrupted, twisted man would come into power and ruin the peace they had worked for. Whether it be in the next year, the next fifty years, or even the next hundred. Mustang’s ascension was their chance to shift the power to the people.

She knew now why he had wanted her to play along, to dance with him. He was already expecting her to say yes, even if he did not explicitly say so. Their dance together was to get tongues wagging about the two high-profile individuals being together. She owed Mustang a lot, but damn him and his manipulating ways.

“We would be lying to the entire nation if we did this,” Edelweiss said, kicking the bit of rubble by her feet.

“It’s nothing neither of us haven’t done before,” Mustang said.

She clicked her tongue. “Yes, but the scale of this and the role you want me to play—isn’t there any other lady who could do this?”

He shook his head. “Fullmetal, I know I’m asking for a lot. It’s disturbing enough having to be in your debt… I’ll cave.” He locked his gaze with hers. “Anything you want that is within reason and within my power to do so, it’s yours. And when I’m Führer, you can even give your input into policy-making—”

“Chimeras.”

“Excuse me?”

She closed her eyes as memories of Nina flooded her once more that day. “When you’re Führer, you will draft an order to ban the practice of chimeric-alchemy.”

“That can be done.”

“And I want full access to the military libraries. That means access to top secret research as well.”

He furrowed his brow. “I’ll draw up permissions so you could access the libraries as of tomorrow. The top secret materials might be an issue. Why would you need access to that?”

She sighed, knowing that as a fellow alchemist he would understand, even if he does not know all the reasons for it. “I want to retrieve my Gate.”

He nodded. “I see… must be rough not being able to perform alchemy. But I’m curious. You _had_ willingly sacrificed it, what changed your mind?”

“It’s just ironic that I’m famous for something I’m no longer able to do.” She said nonchalantly and crossed her arms. “So can you get me access or not?”

His black eyes studied her, his gaze meeting hers as though he could see the wheels turning in her head. His shoulders slumped and he let out a sharp breath. “I will see what I can do.” He held out his hand. “Do we have a deal?”

She stared at his hand for a moment and then shook it. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

He rose and helped her up and then smiled complacently. “Let me walk you back to the Rockbells’, _darling._ ”

She flinched. _This is not my day. The bastard… Just how the hell am I going to be able to keep up with this charade?_

* * *

The day had gone better than expected. Roy had not expected Edelweiss to agree to any sort of terms so quickly, but he will ponder about that later. After he had walked his new _girlfriend_ home, he spun on his heels and strode with his Captain to the rendezvous point to meet with his informant. When they approached the train station, it had already been closed for hours. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Riza stopped at the entrance to keep watch. Roy proceeded towards the silhouette by the benches and sat down. 

“I hope it hurts.” Roy said, glancing at the man. He was a sight alright, a bruise on his cheek and he was holding an ice pack to his foot.

“You didn’t tell me that doll was violent. I think my toe is broken”

Roy scoffed. “I told you to jog up old memories with some chimera talk, not harass her, Mr. Shorter.”

“Being an actor was not part of my job description,” he scowled. “And the plan for tomorrow?”

“Unnecessary now.” Roy tossed an envelope towards Shorter. “Your payment and the negatives from the dance. I want you to run that on the headlines.”

Shorter nodded. “Good doing business with you, General Mustang.” He stood up and started to limp away.

“Oh and Mr. Shorter,” Roy called out, stopping Shorter in his tracks. He rose and put a hand on Shorter’s shoulders. His tone dropped an octave when he spoke. “Harass one of my men again and you will answer to me.”

Satisfied that he had frightened the man, Roy marched past him with a smile on his face. He had just managed to get Fullmetal to agree to this farce, now he would have to fool the nation into thinking that their relationship was real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read what I’ve written. It’s really encouraging to see that you like what was written so far. I was very happy with the first chapter when it was written (it took me one whole month… I thought I would never get that done), and I knew it would be difficult to set the tone for the future chapters. I felt I have established Roy’s character the way I see him in these two chapters. I hope I did justice to Ed’s character this chapter (and will use the next chapter to work on her character more), though Shorter have pretty much made her mad… urm this entire chapter. 
> 
> I swear I don’t know where Shorter came from, he came out as a surprise for me as I wrote. I have no plans for him returning again. I think I tortured him enough. Now to torture Roy and Ed... don’t worry, I have a happy ending for them in like… 20+ chapters, meanwhile they will have to go through some trouble first.


	3. The Bastard and the Idiot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: 06/19/2018
> 
> Thanks Reglee and transistor.robot for betaing this chapter. You guys are amazing as always.

It was late into the night when Edelweiss got back to the Rockbells'. Mustang had insisted that he walk her home, discussing minor details of their arrangement along the way. She entered the house without saying her goodbyes, not bothering if she had appeared rude; she had a lot to think about.

Drained from having to deal with Shorter and then Mustang right after, she closed her eyes and leaned against the door. The familiar smell of machine oil (of the automail atelier) lingered in the room.

Familiarity was what she needed right now. She had just plunged into a world of uncertainty, an arrangement that was bigger than either her or Mustang. Everything from this point was going to be different. A tiny part of her had already regretted her swift decision.

She respected Mustang for sure, for all he had done for her, and for what he continued to do for the country. Except they don't work very well together. Perhaps from a distance. From a very far distance. In fact, the less she saw him the better. That was how their working relationship ran in the past. Just how was she going to be able to get through this? The hair on the back of her neck was still standing from when Mustang had called her  _darling_.

Being an actress was not something she was unfamiliar with. She had fooled guards into letting her into unauthorized areas before (or at least for them to be distracted long enough so she could slip in), but one of this scale... she was not sure if she could pull it off. He had mentioned public appearances where she would have to appear cordial, some  _dates_  so that their relationship would appear realistic, and other assortment of things and all the while she would have to appear to be enamored with him. Thankfully her brother was not here. He would freak if he found out about the true nature of this relationship. She would have to find a way to keep it secret, even if it meant lying to her loved ones.

Edelweiss decided to think about all the crap that had happened later. She hung her red coat, then crossed towards the kitchen.  _Coffee_ , she thought,  _and then back to the journal_. She was not going to be able to sleep that night. Not after the events of today.

While many homes in Resembool were still lit with gas light and candles (being in the countryside), the Rockbells' home ran on electric power. It wasn't surprising seeing that they were a family of automail engineers after all. The lights in the kitchen was still on. Strange given the time of the night.

"Winry, what are you doing still up?"

"I could say the same about you," Winry said, looking up from the dining table, her blue eyes piercing and a wrench in her hand. "Where were you? You'd disappeared sometime during the dance." She waved her wrench menacingly.

"For Truth's sake! Put that wrench away, gear-head," she said, walking towards the sink to fill the kettle. "And relax, I was with Mustang."

"What does he want?" Winry loosened her grip on the wrench. "He's not sending you out on a mission is he? Can he even do that?"

If only it was just a mission. Ed placed the kettle on the stove and started it.

"No, nothing like that."

Winry gave her a scrutinizing gaze, silently asking her for an explanation.

Edelweiss felt the heat rose from her neck and only managed to choke out a mumble. It was harder to lie to her best friend than she had initially thought.

"What was that?" Winry asked.

Another mumble.

Winry shifted in her seat. "Hmm… Anyways… I'm going to bed, now that I know you're not lying in a ditch somewhere." She rose from her seat and then left the kitchen, yawning.

Edelweiss breathed out a sigh of relief, glad that Winry had given her an out this time. Though the topic would probably be revisited the next day.

With coffee in hand, she climbed the stairs and dragged her feet towards her room. She turned on the table lamp and set her mug on the desk. The light shone onto the mess she had already made despite having only returned from her travels only a couple of days ago. Her alchemical texts were scattered, and papers with alchemical arrays were strewn all over her desk.

She clicked her tongue in annoyance, and bent down to pick up stray notes that had found its way to the floor.

As she stood, she dropped her notes as she felt a reeling sensation She sat down on the floor to prevent herself from falling, as she started to see black and white spots and her breathing hitched. She didn't know how long it lasted, but in that moment she felt as though she was losing touch with the world. And when it was gone, it had left her panting and weak at her knees.

 _Fucking hell_.

Favoring her automail leg, she pushed herself up into her chair and brought out her journal to record the dizzy spell. It was the worst one yet. She flipped back a few pages and found the record she needed. The last time she endured one of these episodes was three months ago.

 _Just fucking spectacular_.

Her hands were trembling as she reached out for her coffee and took a sip; it soothed her if only just slightly.

It had started six years ago after their victory on Promised Day. She had dismissed it then, she had presumed that it was the effects to the injuries she had sustained at the time. It was very minor compared to nursing her atrophied right arm—which was even more minor to nursing her brother; who at the time was so emaciated that he could hardly stand.

As the years passed, the symptoms got worse, and the frequency increased. When Alphonse first noticed the signs, he had dragged her to the doctor but they would not be able to find anything wrong. They said that she was fine and just needed rest. It placated Al for a while, but he was convinced otherwise when she started feeling dizzy again at a later date. They traced it back from whence it started and they began to suspect that her missing Gate was the cause for her ailments.

She and Al had achieved the impossible and had brought the latter's body back from the Gate. She will just have to achieve the impossible yet again and retrieve her Gate. She will not give up. She will persevere with the same Elric stubbornness that had seen them through their journey. Mustang's proposition could not have come at a more opportune moment.

She was at a dead-end in her research and if it meant cutting a deal with Mustang to have access to more resources, so be it. What were the odds? She chuckled bitterly. They had come full circle, she and Mustang. The two of them using one another for their own gain. Just like old times.

* * *

The warmth of the sun touched her face, gently reminding her the start of a new day. Her head was on a hard surface and she'd come to realization that she had fallen asleep on her desk. Not feeling rested, she groaned. Five more minutes and she would get up and go about her morning routine.

Her head pounded over the stomps of someone running up the stairs. It was thunderous like a stampede. She groaned yet again. Maybe she should get up, but sleep was more tantalizing right now. Just five more minutes.

Luck was not on her side, however. The footsteps got louder and louder as it got closer and closer.

 _StompStompStompStompStomp_ —

 _Slam_. The door swung open.

"Ed! Wake-up!" came Winry's loud voice.

"Just five more minutes," Edelweiss croaked, shutting her eyelids tighter.

Winry stomped towards her and shook her. She really should have known that that was not going to be an acceptable answer. Edelweiss swatted her hand away and groaned groggily. Winry shook her yet again, this time, roughly. Ed almost fell off her chair.

"Geez, woman, I'm up," Ed yawned and looked around the room, a little disoriented. She rubbed on the crick in her neck, a result from sleeping on her desk. "What's so important that it couldn't wait another five freaking minutes?"

"Ed…" Winry began, her blue eyes twinkling, "…you didn't tell me you've started seeing General Mustang."

As if a fuse was blown, the gears in her mind was unraveling. Oh she was awake now, flashes of yesterday's events played in her head. That was no dream, it happened. Edelweiss stared incredulously at the other blonde. She opened her mouth but nothing came out; her throat was dry.

The silence prompted Winry to continue. "That's just so like you! You never talk about your dating life."

Ed spluttered indignantly. Of course she had talked about it. There was that lawyer guy, that doctor bloke, and that… well, that other dude. She had totally talked about them, if only to complain. Okay maybe she just briefly mentioned them. Even if the men were not intimidated by her quick temper, her foul mouth and her intellect, her wandering tendencies had not allowed for lasting relationships. Hence, she had not found it important to talk a whole lot about them.

She was about to deny dating Mustang, but then remembered that she had a role to play.

She hung her head and looked at the floor to hide her expression lest she gives herself away.

"How did you find out?" she said slowly.

"Well… he's here right now asking Granny for her blessings to date you."

Ed snapped her head up to meet with Winry's grinning face.

"He what?" her voice squeaked.

Winry ignored her, took her wrist, and dragged her.

"Wait—Winry, what are you—"

"We got to make you look presentable before you go see him."

Ed groaned as she teetered behind Winry. "He's not going to care."

"A woman got to make an effort to keep a man interested," Winry said undeterred.

She rolled her eyes. He was not interested, and she certainly did not want him interested. Not that she could tell anyone that.

"You should take up your own advice on that—ow-ow-ow-ow-ow!"

Winry had let go of her wrist and started pulling her by the ear. She was only released when they got to Winry's room and was ordered to wash up in the adjoining bathroom. Ed rubbed on her ear and swore that Winry had the strength of a gorilla despite her slim frame—earning her a light swipe to the back of her head. She sighed defeatedly and did as told while Winry went through her wardrobe, trying to find something  _suitable_.

Edelweiss looked at the mirror and clicked her tongue. Reflected in the mirror was a young woman with golden hair and eyes. But what's most prominent, was the dark circles under her eyes and an indentation on her cheek (from resting her head on a book). She was not going to give Mustang the satisfaction of seeing her lose sleep over this.

"Hey Winry, let me borrow your makeup kit."

Winry stumbled around in the other room and then poked her head by the door.

"Did I just hear that right?" she asked, her eyes gleaming.

"Makeup kit, now, please and thank you." Edelweiss held out her hand expectantly.

Winry squealed and pulled Ed towards the vanity mirror in her room, and started to apply make-up to Ed's face. There was no stopping her. To Edelweiss' dismay, Winry shushed any protest Ed made. She was gushing over how Ed was  _finally_  putting an effort towards a man. Edelweiss felt as though her own eyes would pop out with the amount of eye-rolling she did.

When Winry was done, Ed was all made-up and dressed in a modest, blue pastel dress. Not anything she would have chosen for herself, but Winry was insistent that she wore a dress, and that anything Ed had owned was either too  _bold_  or too  _gaudy_. Whatever that meant. Edelweiss was convinced that everyone else had bad taste.

Satisfied, Winry left the room to join the others. She wanted to see Ed enter the room and really, to watch Mustang's expression when she did.

Edelweiss shook her head. She proceeded to drag her feet down the stairs, following the distant chattering that echoed through the stairwell. As she got closer towards the living area, she could distinctively pick out Granny Pinako's scratchy voice, Winry's excited chatter, Mustang's deep voice, and one other female voice that she did not recognize.

She hesitantly stepped into the doorway, a scowl quickly found its way to her face. She found Winry, Granny Pinako, and Mustang sitting by the coffee table, and of course, the fourth voice. It was Mary. She should have known the voice belonged to the village's biggest busybody; the middle-aged lady was always poking her nose into someone else's business after all.

Edelweiss was not sure how Mary got wind of this so quickly but she suspected it had something to do with the papers Mary was clutching in her hands. No doubt by the end of the day, the whole village would know about it.

 _Fantastic, just fucking fantastic_.

To top it off, Mustang seemed to have had captivated the women; they were hanging on to every word out of his silver tongue.

Evidently. Winry had expected that Ed would not be far behind her, and was first to notice Edelweiss' entrance. She squeaked excitedly—which made everyone else aware of Ed's presence—and quickly turned to look at Mustang, no doubt trying to catch his reaction over her handiwork.

Winry, Granny Pinako and Mary were silently looking between Edelweiss and Mustang. They were holding their breath, probably expecting to witness some sort of sappy romantic scene play out like they would in romantic novels. They were going to be disappointed.

Ed caught Mustang's gaze. "What are you doing here, bastard?"

"Ed!" Winry admonished.

Granny Pinako only grinned and shook her head as she puffed out of her pipe. Mary had a hand on her chest, looking offended. Mustang however, was not affected in the slightest. He gave her a winning smile.

"Hello Edelweiss," Mustang said.

"Mustang," she said curtly. "We need to talk…" she paused when the other women looked on expectantly, "… in private." She gestured towards the front door.

Mustang rose and smiled. "Please excuse us, ladies. She's still shy in light of our new relations."

The way the women looked at him as he sauntered towards her, confirmed her suspicion that they were charmed by his mannerism.

He put his arm around her shoulder and led her to the door, and opened it for her. She stepped out grumbling that she could open her own doors. He chuckled behind her and the door creaked as he closed it.

* * *

They walked away from the house. Up close, Roy could see the signs of a restless night which she had obviously attempted to hide with make-up. He empathized with her, to be thrown out of the blue into this arrangement. He had to come to terms with it himself, only he had a month to do so and she only had last night.

Truth be told, she was handling this situation far better than he had. She may have lost sleep, but he had thrown himself into a drunken stupor, that is, until the Captain had had enough of his moping. He would never admit it, but Fullmetal was coping better.

In an attempt to reach out to his former subordinate, he had found that both Elric siblings had turned to their wanderlust, making them difficult to get a hold of. So when he heard of her return through the grapevine, he had forged a plan to snare her before she left on another quest. It was not his preferred method of handling the situation. He would have preferred to be kinder to his protégé.

"You had no right to show up here and tell them that we're dating," Edelweiss said, "I wanted to break the news to them on my own terms."

"Think of it as a favor. How do you expect to be convincing enough when you could hardly fake a smile around me?" Roy raised an eyebrow.

"I would have found a way," she huffed.

"You want to explain what happened in there?"

"I just called you as I see it, bastard."

"Even so,  _idiot_ , tone that down when we're around others. In case you have forgotten, Fullmetal, we're supposed to be  _infatuated_  with one another."

"It's Edelweiss. I'm not military anymore, Mustang."

"On that note, you should also be calling me by my first name."

"It feels weird rolling off my tongue," she scowled.

"Then practice it," he ordered. His tone was harsh and her scowl deepened. "And while you're at it, practice your smile too."

Her eyes narrowed defiantly, just like how she used to when he had given her orders. He felt a headache developing. Then he saw some movement from the corner of his eyes and reached out for her hand and held it, she stiffened.

"What is this?" she hissed.

"Another thing you'll have to get used to," he said nonchalantly, already feeling tired from her unruliness. "Don't look now but Ms. Rockbell and Mary are peeking by the window."

She cursed under her breath and allowed him to hold her hand. She was trying in her own way and he appreciated it.

"I know that this is not ideal for either of us, Edelweiss—"

"You think?"

"—but we will be seeing each other a lot more than we ever had. I hope that in the least, we can try to at least be civil with each other."

She looked up into his eyes, as though he had grown another head. Really now, how had Fullmetal saw him over the years?

He slipped a hand into his military jacket and produced the permissions he had spent drawing up the night before. Edelweiss eyed the document curiously.

"I intend to go through with my end of the deal. These are the permission you'll need to use the military libraries."

Her eyes widened slightly and with her free hand, took the document, unfolded it and read through quickly, a wide toothy grin formed on her lips. It was the first time he saw her smiled sincerely since he had gotten here, it was a pleasant change.

"And here I thought I was going to have to wait till my old age before you get any of your paperwork done."

"God, does nothing good ever come out of your mouth, Fullmetal?"

"It's Edelweiss, and um, thank you." The last bit was spoken hesitantly.

He smiled. Appreciation was something he did not expect from her. Looks like some things had changed in the six years since she had retired. "I can't officially write up permission for a civilian to access top secret research, even if it is for you. We can work something out, off the books, once you're in East City."

She cocked her head to the side, eyebrows knitted. "East City? Why would I want to go there? The best military library is in Central."

"Because you would need to uphold your part of the agreement. Public appearances and the sort."

She frowned and he continued. "East City has a decent library, and anything that you can't find there we can make requests for Central to send over. Besides, you would need me around for the other thing you wanted."

Edelweiss looked unconvinced and for a moment he thought she was going to argue, but she surprised him yet again by nodding. "I would've preferred to go to Central, but I'll make do. I'm sure there's plenty of materials to start with."

"It's agreed then. I will leave you to settle your affairs here. Drop by the headquarters when you're in East City."

"Things would be peaceful without you around," she teased.

"Don't get used to it," he retorted. He lifted the back of her hand to his lips and gave it a quick peck. "For the ladies by the window."

Edelweiss was rooted to the spot in shock. He chuckled and left her in the field.

* * *

Something was off. There was no doubt about it. Outside, away from the window, Edelweiss and General Mustang were talking. While she could not make out what they were saying, Ed's lack of interest in the presence of someone she was supposed to be seeing, was unsettling.

Winry had woken up early that morning and started to help Granny Pinako build an arm. They had some catching up to do after taking the day off to spend time at the village's festival. It wasn't long before Mary showed up on their doorstep with the day's newspaper, wanting to hear more about Edelweiss and her new flame.

She was confused at first until she was shown the headlines— _The Flame and Fullmetal Alchemists Are Dating_ —with a picture of them dancing. She shrugged it off. It was probably just the media getting their grubby hands over any bit of gossip they could find.

She was proven wrong when General Mustang himself showed up not long after asking for Edelweiss and to talk to Alphonse. And upon learning that Alphonse wasn't here he had asked for Granny.

Knowing how grumpy Ed can get when woken from her slumber, she did not immediately went to wake her. But when the General asked for Granny's blessings to court Edelweiss, she was so thrilled that she abandoned all thoughts of letting Ed sleep.

Winry was all giddy when the General smiled at Ed, but then the illusion of a perfect match-up was shattered when Edelweiss opened that potty mouth of hers. The General seemed unperturbed by Ed's behavior and had been nothing but a gentlemen throughout the entire exchange. But there was no blush and no smile on Edelweiss' face, but a scowl and ice in her voice. Winry was taken aback by Ed's demeanor. Sure, she was her usual self, albeit grumpy from being woken up. But is that how Ed treated someone whom she supposedly liked enough to—

"Oh look, they're holding hands," Mary said.

"Mm, I see that," Winry said. She could only see Edelweiss' back, but her body appeared to be stiff. Odd. She turned towards her grandmother who was still sitting by the coffee table. "Granny, what did you tell the General? I missed it when I went to get Ed."

"I told him that if her parents were still here, they would have wanted it to be Ed's decision. Ed is old enough to choose who she wants to court." Granny said.

Winry sighed. "That's what I'm afraid of. I'm not sure if she knows what she's doing."

"I think it's romantic that the fella would ask ya permission to date her, ya know," Mary said.

"It is, even if it's a bit old-fashioned," Winry said.

"It was the norm," Granny said, "he's quite a bit older than she is."

Winry frowned, she had not really considered that. "Aren't you a little worried for Ed?"

Granny chuckled. "Out of all the things she had done, her dating is the least of my worries." she took a sip of her coffee. "Ed probably wouldn't think twice about the age gap, seeing that her parents had a much bigger one."

"Edelweiss knew the fella before this?" Mary asked.

"He was her commanding officer," Winry said.

"Oh my gosh, look! He'd just kissed her, oh isn't he just dreamy. If I was…"

Winry tuned out Mary's blabbering and looked out the window once more. General Mustang was lowering Ed's hand, smiling charmingly. He walked down the path and left. Ed was just standing there. Rigid. Watching the General walk away. Was it longing? Perhaps she was mistaken to be suspicious of Ed's feelings for the man. She averted her gaze from the window.

Mary was still chattering away and Granny Pinako just nodded politely, chuckling occasionally. Winry crossed towards the table and cleared the empty cups of coffee. She had automail to build, and she figured she'd ask Ed all about it later. And she looked like she needed a moment for herself.

It had to be about ten or fifteen minutes later when the door slammed open, silencing Mary. Edelweiss did not bother to shut the door, but proceeded to run up the stairs.  _StompstompStompstompStompstomp_. Her quick uneven steps echoed throughout the house.

"Ed? What's going on?" Winry called out.

No answer.

Rustling and thudding noises came out of Edelweiss' room. "Ed?" she called out again and walked towards the stairs to see Edelweiss running down with her suitcase in hand. There were papers and fabric sticking out the sides of her luggage in her rush to pack her belongings. Her golden hair was already a mess. She had her brown traveling coat over the blue dress and had thrown on her black boots. What a fashion disaster.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"To East City," Ed made her way towards the door. "I gotta go, need to catch the train."

"But the train to East City doesn't run before noon," Winry said.

"The military express does!" Ed shouted from the distance she had already made.

Mary and Granny Pinako made their way towards the door.

"Ah! Young love," Mary sighed as Granny Pinako shook her head.

"The military express?" Winry said mostly to herself as she stared at the running figure. "Civilians aren't allowed to board that, are they?"

* * *

Roy and his men had boarded the train, and the conductor was on his last round, making sure everything was ready to go. Roy sat in his private compartment with Riza. The Captain was already putting him to work; official papers sitting in front of him as he signed them. The captain was going through his schedule in the seat opposite him.

"Do you think Edelweiss would show up in East City?" Riza asked.

The corner of his lips tugged into a smile. "She will be there." he chuckled. "Do you doubt my competency to seal a deal?"

Riza looked up. "It's not your competency that I doubt, Sir. Just that Edelweiss is as unpredictable as they come."

"I'll put in a bet that she'll be there next week."

The whistle went off and the train started to chug.

Riza stirred, distracted by something. "You might just have to pay up, Sir," she said, gesturing towards the window.

He raised his eyebrow. Outside the train, Edelweiss was running at full speed towards them.  _What in the blazes_ … He pushed the window open and stuck his head out. "Fullmetal, what are you—"

"Get to the back of the train, Mustang!"

 _She's not going to… is she?_  Roy got up quickly, opened the compartment door and strode rapidly to the end of the train. He opened the back door and there Edelweiss was, closing in the distance.

"Think fast!" Ed hollered, her suitcase launched towards him.

He caught it and quickly dropped it next to him. "Fullmetal, stop now!"

She didn't listen. The train was picking up speed, whistle blowing while it chugged along the rail. Her boots thudded heavily as she careened towards the edge of the platform. Her blue dress and her brown coat billowed behind her. Just as the train moved out of the station, she leapt off the platform. One hand caught the railing of the train, but her foot missed.

He grabbed onto her arm and with his other, he reached out to the back of her shoulder. He grunted and yanked hard till she found her footing. He held onto her as she climbed over the railing. She sank to the floor, panting.

 _Thud, thud, thud, thud._ His heart hammered from the adrenaline; his hand still on her shoulder.

Her tiny shoulders were heaving and her windswept hair a total mess. She looked up and gave him a wide, silly grin. "I made it."

He snapped.

"THAT WAS RECKLESS! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"

"I figured I shouldn't waste any time, now that I have permissions to use the libraries," she said simply as she rose and dusted her dress.

"Then take the next train! You can't just jump onto a military one."

"Oh, I'm sure you can take care of the technicalities, future husband-of-mine."

"Idiot!" he chided.

"Bastard!" she spat.

They glowered at one another, only to be interrupted by hurried footsteps. A few of his men approached to check on the commotion.

"Lower your weapons. She's with me," he ordered.

They looked at her curiously, but nodded and turned back.

She shrugged. "See? Nothing to worry about."

Roy pinched the bridge of his nose. Edelweiss was going to get herself killed one day, not to mention the amount of paperwork this incident would generate alone. How does one even generate paperwork in their retirement? It had not been twenty-four hours and he already needed to fill in a report explaining why they had not detained a possible threat.  _Jumping onto military trains_. He let out a sharp breath and shook his head. What had he  _really_  gotten himself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will take a while before it's published. 1) it's not written yet. 2) I'll be gone almost a month to visit my family. 3) Where they are at, ff.net is banned, and I don't plan on updating unless I can update on both site.
> 
> Finally, Thanks for your patience and support. keep those comments coming :D I love hearing what you think!


	4. Of Trains, Cars, and Letters

He hated paperwork.

Paperwork was designed to cause tendonitis and carpal tunnel, forcing soldiers out of the field (from being unable to fire a rifle), and then to be stuck in a desk job, where tendonitis and carpal tunnel were prevalent. It was a vicious cycle.

And that was why he was out in the streets at 1200 hours to conduct some  _routine inspections._

After meandering around the city for a bit, Roy stopped by the newspaper stand, acknowledging the old man who manned it with a nod. He picked up the day's papers.

"Running away from Ms. Hawkeye again?" the old man asked.

"I wouldn't call it running, Mr. Collins. Just—"

"Catching up on the news," Mr. Collins completed his sentence. "Speaking of which, how's the railway project going?"

Mustang flipped to the next page. "On schedule. You wouldn't believe how many documents I had to sign just to get that going."

"Too many, I'd imagine," Mr. Collins said, the side of his eyes crinkled with mirth.

"Exactly," Roy chuckled. He put the paper down and dug through his pocket for some coins. "What time did the Captain get here yesterday?"

"12:32pm." He had his palm up.

Roy dropped a couple of coins into his palm; an amount that was more than enough for the paper.

"Send her towards—"

"The opposite direction." Mr. Collins nodded. "Now get out of here."

Roy gave him a mock salute and walked towards the flower shop, which was a couple blocks away. He checked his watch as he walked down the cobblestone alley.

1226 hours. He was making good time. The Captain would not be heading this direction for a while. He would be damned if he let her drag him back to the office  _early_  today.

A good portion of his morning was used to file a report on Edelweiss and the train incident. And he was not a happy camper.

He entered the flower shop and was hit with the welcoming aroma of spring flowers.

Since the Führer's proposition and his decision to pick Edelweiss, he had not been out on a date. He had to change his image, which meant he hadn't visited the flower shop in awhile. Which also meant that the Captain would be unlikely to look for him here.

Roy was greeted by a lady he had not seen before. He learned that she was covering for her friend (his otherwise, regular florist), and took the opportunity to ask her about every single flower in the shop, to pass as much time as he could.

The lady had a love for carnations. And in that time, he had learned more about carnations than he ever wanted to know. But he decided to buy some purple carnations (which meant capriciousness by the way) after the poor girl had spent so much time being patient with his inquiries.

He wrote a note:  _Edelweiss, Thought of you when I saw these lovely, tiny flowers. Roy._ And had them scheduled to be delivered to her the next day, knowing full well that  _tiny_  was a trigger word for Ed.

If he had to wade through the paperwork she'd created, she could deal with his small, petty act. Sometimes it was fun to get in a tiny bit of revenge.

Roy checked the time again when he left the flower shop. 1312 hours, in ten minutes he would set a new record for dodging the Captain.

He strode towards the town square, heading towards where his regular shoeshine boy set up shop.

Getting his boots shined in public wasn't something he had thought he would ever do as he did the task himself every morning—a habit ingrained during his military academy years.

But the boy in scruffy clothing reminded him a little of himself as a child. Smart, industrious, and poor. So he gave the boy a bit of business to help his family tide over difficult times, and bits of advice if the boy wanted it.

"You made it today, sir, General, sir. " Misha said.

Roy chuckled light-heartedly. "At ease, soldier. Do you have anything to report?" He placed a foot on top of the platform.

Misha began brushing Roy's boots. "Yes sir. The baker and the butcher got into a fight yesterday."

"What for?"

"The butcher was looking at the baker's wife in a funny way, the baker said anyways."

"I see."

"I don't understand why men would fight over the ladies. The butcher just looked. And girls are gross."

He laughed. "You'll understand in a few years."

Misha wrinkled his nose and then gestured for Roy to switch foot on the platform as he was done.

"Ma and Pa said that there's unrest at the western border and it's affecting business for my aunt and uncle's family."

That, Roy had known. While peaceful now, Amestris had always had tense relations with their neighbors. A cease-fire had been initiated after Führer Grumman had ascended to the position. However, there were still a lot of ongoing negotiations to enact peace treaties with the neighboring nations. Neither side was willing to back down, not wanting to come out with the  _lesser_  of the deal.

Centuries of animosity wasn't about to go away in a night, which was why he was under a lot of scrutiny as he was the one attributed to establishing allied relations with Xing. Many were watching his success, but many were also waiting for him to fail.

"Tell me more about this."

"They said that taxes were raised to help fix the problem."

Roy frowned at this.  _That_  he was not aware of. While the West Area was not his jurisdiction, tax hikes were something that would make quite a talk in the break room.

A car pulled up next to them and he knew his time was up. He checked the time yet again.

He paid the shoeshine boy, with a little extra of course.

"I'll see you again tomorrow, sir, General, sir."

Roy smiled and nodded to Misha. And then approached the car.

"1346 hours. You're slacking, Captain Hawkeye."

She cocked her gun. "Just get in the car, General."

Oh the mutiny. He got in the passenger seat and allowed her to drive him back to the office and back to those damn documents. Speaking of which.

"Captain, I would need to see what intel Breda's contact can dig up at the western border."

"Yes, sir."

"And see if Falman had picked up anything in the north."

Through the reflection on the rear-view mirror, she raised her eyebrow. "Affirmative. But is something the matter?"

"I'm just curious about something. It's probably nothing."

Black Hayate wagged his tail enthusiastically when he and the Captain returned to the office, and followed her like a shadow. He didn't bark; not at them; the Captain had trained him well. But he swore that she'd also trained him to snub on everything he offered, as yet again, Black Hayate ignored his food offering.

The sound of a cocked gun was his cue to get back to work. You would think she'd outranked him the way she ordered him around.

By the 1600 hours deadline, Roy had had the day's paperwork done, to the Captain's satisfaction. And after his officers debriefed him of the day's work, he'd dismissed them at 1700 hours.

What a long day. But it wasn't over yet. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He had one last thing to do. He had to pick up a certain  _stray_ from the library—the one that jumped onto the train just yesterday. Yeah it was petty to think of her as one, but he really didn't appreciate the extra paperwork.

* * *

The East Military Branch Library was not as grand as the one in Central, but it was still a fairly large one, housing thousands upon thousands of books, periodicals, and research. It certainly had a large selection of alchemy texts.

Roy flashed a smile to the staff at the reception desk, and made his way towards the alchemy section.

He sauntered through the sitting area, and then through the rows and rows of bookshelves. And when he found her, he chuckled. Even with plenty of available sitting, she chose to sit on the floor, surrounding herself with stacks and stacks of books.

Typical.

She had her hair in a ponytail, but it did nothing for the sprig of cowlick hair that stuck out, nor did she bother to tame the bangs that she had just simply swept to the side for her face. Her golden eyes flitted across the text with alacrity, and as she flipped a page, her finger traced the bottom of her lips as she mumbled to herself, fully immersed in the book.

He plopped down next to her and picked up one of the books that was scattered around her.

The texts were on bio-alchemy and they were not the basics of this branch of alchemy either, delving into the more theoretical and clinical side of it. Edelweiss seemed to be absorbing the material with ease.

No matter, he came to the library for one reason, and it was not to join her in her research. He snapped the book shut and stood. His eyebrows raised as Edelweiss had yet to notice his presence.

"Edelweiss," Roy called out to her.

The rustling of a turning page was his only reply. No words were going to snap her out of her trance. He lifted the book up and tapped her head. She jolted and snapped towards him.

"Oh, it's you," she said in a sharp tone. Her gaze wandered towards the windows, and her eyes widened, taking in the burnt-orange hue. "Crap, what time is it?"

He pulled the sleeve of his blue military jacket and checked the time. "1745 hours, fifteen minutes from closing. Found anything in that heap?"

"Bits here and there," she grumbled, stuffing her notes into the inner pocket of her brown coat and straighten her black boyish clothes. She scooped up a pile of books, but instead of putting them on the cart to be sorted, she headed towards the windows.

"What are you doing?" He moved closer to her when she opened a window.

"There's a limit to how many books I could get checked out and I figured that if I dump them out the window, I could pick them up when we get out."

She heaved the books up, and he grabbed her arm stopping her.

"You're not throwing these books out the window," he said exasperatedly. He did not want to deal with any repercussions of that action. It was a military library in his jurisdiction; there would be paperwork involved if she got caught. "I'll check them out for you."

He would need to talk to the librarian about giving her a bigger loan limit.

"What's the fun in that? Too old for a bit of adventure?" she smirked.

"If you call mistreating books an adventure, you're more of a brat than I'd initially thought."

The glint in her eyes disappeared. "Can't blame me for lack of resourcefulness. You're such a bastard about it though." She gestured towards another stack of books. "Grab those would you?"

"Are you even going to be able to go through all of these tonight?" he asked, but picked up the books regardless. "The library isn't going anywhere."

"I've already read through them. There are just some sections that I'd like to analyze more. Besides, they're just light-reading."

They walked towards the checkout desk. "Most would disagree with you," Roy said.

"I'm not most people though," Edelweiss grinned.

"Don't get too cocky. You're nowhere near your end goal."

"Is that a challenge?" she said, quirking an eyebrow. "I'll bet that I would get my Gate back before you get that transfer to Central."

"Oh good. Then I could send you out on missions."  _Not that he would send a first lady out on military missions._

She scowled. "Don't push your luck, Mustang—"

"Roy," he offered.

"—you're already asking for a lot and I'm not about to be a military dog again, much less working under—"

Her stomach growled, interrupting her words. He raised an eyebrow, "When was the last time you ate?"

Edelweiss' brows furrowed as she placed the stack of books onto the checkout desk.

"If you have to think that much, it's been too long," he said. She needed to take care of herself more. He followed suit with the stack of books he was carrying. "We're going to dinner before I take you home."

"My research—"

"Can wait." He was taking no for an answer. "What kind of a partner would I be if I let you starve?" From his peripheral view, the librarian was smiling at his and Edelweiss' exchange.

Good.

Edelweiss rolled her eyes and offered. "One who lets me prioritize on my work?"

"You're a hopeless idiot."

"And you're a fucking asshole."

Trust Fullmetal to be crude enough to send the librarian gaping at them.

* * *

Edelweiss now knew why Riza always did the driving whenever she was with Mustang.

And without fail too.

The car swerved violently as they turned a corner. Her knuckles were white from gripping the edges of her seat. Just what was his deal?

She did not remember how many times she had yelled at him, but she did notice that every time that she did so; not only would he have a witty remark in response, but his gaze would be directed at her instead of the road. So she clamped her mouth shut and silently prayed to every deity she knew—which was a lot, considering her travels—and she wasn't even religious.

The car screeched to a stop and her fear had turned to rage. "Fuck. Keep your eyes on the road will you? You bastard. You know what, forget I even ask. Why are we even having dinner together? Can't we just sign that blasted piece of paper and just keep out of each other's sight when we don't need to make any public appearances?"

His eyes narrowed and his lips thinned, and he reached out for her hand, to which she quickly retracted.

"That is why we're going to spend a lot more time with each other before we sign the marriage papers. There is no way we can convince anyone we're married at this point. And we do have to appear publicly quite a bit. The quicker you adjust, the quicker we can get it over it and as you say, keep out of each other's sight and only appear together when need be." Mustang exited the car, came around and opened her door, once again extending a hand towards her.

She glared at him, ignored his hand, and then eased past him to see where he had brought her; all the while muttering about his crazy ass driving. It was a charming little diner, albeit a little run-down with peeling paint on the walls and faded lettering on the sign.

A bell rang when they entered and she followed Mustang to a table in a quiet corner of the bustling diner. They did not have to wait long before a server came to their table. Her eyes lit with recognition when she saw Mustang.

"Roy, it's been awhile since we've seen you around here," she greeted him warmly and Mustang smiled, shedding his previously agitated demeanor. "And I see you've brought someone to try out our menu."

Ed gave her a polite smile and a nod.

"Anne, lovely as ever." He lifted her hand and gave it a peck.

Edelweiss rolled her eyes.  _So he kisses every lady's hand. Why am I not surprised._

"This is my girlfriend, Edelweiss. This is her first day back in East City and where else to bring her but here, where you make the most amazing eastern cuisine."

"You're such a flatterer," Anne laughed and then turned to Edelweiss. "Be careful with this one. Though, you're the first woman he'd ever brought here," she said in a light teasing voice and gave a her quick wink. "So what can I get for the both of you."

Mustang recommended a few things on the menu, and she decided to pick something that Anne recommended, just to be rebellious. Anne took their order and left to attend to the other patrons, leaving Mustang and her alone.

"Hmm…" she began, and he raised an eyebrow. "I've never pegged you as someone who would come to a hole-in-a-wall restaurant."

"It's not fancy," he agreed, "but they make exceptional local food."

She only nodded.

There was a pause. A long pause. The silence and the tension was even deafening the busy babbling noises from the other customers. Even Anne raised an eyebrow when she came with their drinks.

Was this what it would be like with Mustang? The arguing and then the silent and awkward moments. Just like after she had jumped onto the train. After arguing, she had sat in his private compartment with him and Riza, shooting glares at one another.

"There's going to be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new railway in Ishval," Roy broke the silence.

"And?" she huffed, she already knew what he wanted.

"I want you to be there."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there," she swatted at the air and muttered under her breath.  _Like I have any other choice._

"Great, I'll send you the schedule. You should also write to Alphonse, about us."

She scoffed. "No." She did not know how to begin to tell her brother about this.

"You should," he said simply, "he would otherwise learn it from the publicity we would receive in the event, considering that there will be Xingese emissaries present. And I'm sure you'd want him to learn of it from you."

The man just really knew how to get under her skin. It was her choice to accept this arrangement but he had no reason to drag Alphonse into it. Again, she felt as though Mustang was taking away her right to tell the news the way she wanted to. She needed more time to wrap her mind around it. And apparently, time was not something she had.

After a moment of silence, Mustang continued. "Besides, it would be good for you to have someone else to confide in, besides the Captain."

 _What?_ Was he saying that she could tell Al  _everything_? She felt her anger subsided. Relieved even… but she couldn't. "I can't do that. He'll be so upset. Worried even."

"He might, initially, but Alphonse has always had your back," Mustang said and then he deadpanned, "and I can handle the backlash and the shovel-talk."

She laughed. "I don't know. He may be all smiles, but he can get scary when he's angry. And you've never seen him angry."

"I think I've already seen the worst of an Elric's wrath. It will not be an issue."

"It's your funeral." She shrugged and took a sip of water. "I'll write a letter tonight, but I probably won't be telling him everything. This is the first time I'm actually glad that we can't make transcontinental phone calls."  _And that a letter takes about two to three weeks to get to Al. That should give me enough time to adjust_.

"Consider it. It's difficult enough without someone to talk to," Roy said, "it's important enough, you could have a telegram sent out."

"No way, you know how expensive that is? They charge by every word!" Ed said.

"I guess our next project would be to improve call quality with Xing then."

"Just so I could talk to Al? You're crazy."

"So we would have better communications with our allies," Mustang said, his eyebrow raised.

She stretched. "You know, it probably wouldn't be too difficult to develop."

"I'm listening."

At that moment Anne came by with their orders, and left them again to their conversation.

"Well… all you can hear are distorted noises from a call to Xing. We would need a better amplifier to rectify that issue, more communication cables of course, and—" she took a bite of her food, "—you're right, the food here is delicious."

Mustang smirked. "Glad you like it. Now talk or eat, don't do both, it's disgusting."

She suppressed the need to stick out her tongue at him and just settled for a glare.

They continued their conversation over the meal. And even though it wasn't on a field of their expertise, she appreciated that he could keep up with her when she delved into some of the technicalities, and even added his own ideas to the table.

Perhaps being stuck in this arrangement with the bastard wouldn't be too bad. It was rare for her to be able to talk like this with someone, and it was a definite plus to know that she would not be married to an imbecile.

* * *

_Brother,  
_ _Guess what? I'm in love_

 

Edelweiss crumpled the paper and toss it into the bin. She picked up the pen again and wrote:

 

 _Al,  
_ _I'm dating the bastard_

 

She put her pen down, ripped that piece of paper and tried again, and again, and again. This was more challenging than developing her own arrays, the wastepaper basket was already filling up.

Ed sighed, but again, she lifted her pen to write the most difficult letter she'd ever written.

 

_Hey Al,_

_Tired of Xing yet? If it weren't for the disastrous combination of my automail and the scorching heat of the desert that would surely singe me where the metal meets my flesh, I would be there. Crossing the desert sucks._

_The good news is that I would finally be able to, upon the railway's completion. I could finally go to Xing with you and see what the hype is all about, and of course to visit Mei, and maybe even that annoying Emperor._

_Funny story. I'm not in Resembool waiting for you. Yes everything and everyone is fine. Winry and Granny send their love. I met Roy at the Sheep Festival of all places. Long story short, I'm seeing him. And no, I'm not enlisting again. Yes, I'm seeing him._

_I'm living with Riza Hawkeye, so send all correspondence to this address:_

_6 Hazel Grove, Apt. #23_  
_East City, East Area 37600,  
_ _Amestris._

_If you arrive home earlier than planned just contact East HQ and ask for the man. He'll know where I am. And I'll take the first train back to Resembool._

_Love,_

_Ed._

_PS: I'd almost forgot. I suffered another episode on 27 March 1921. Yes, I know the intervals are getting smaller, but don't worry. It's nothing I can't handle. Attached are more of my research. Maybe you can make sense of it and test them out where I couldn't._

 

There. Nothing romantic, no details on their relationship, and a bunch of other things to hopefully distract Al from questioning her relationship with Mustang at the meantime.

She sealed the envelope with the letter and a copy of her research, and put it aside. She would have to mail it first thing this morning if she wanted the letter to reach her brother before he hopped onto the first train back to Amestris.

She really appreciated that Mustang would allow her to tell Alphonse all about the arrangement, but she was not ready to let Al know. Even as gentle of a person her brother was, he would raise hell over this.

For the longest time, all they had was each other, and as a result, they were both protective of one another. Okay, maybe even overprotective. She didn't want to involve her brother into this mess. This was her decision and her burden to carry, alone. She just had to be convincing enough to be able to deceive him.

Edelweiss decided to give a real effort into working on her behavior around Mustang so that Al would never have to worry about her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back from my vacation. Whoop! And I honestly thought I wouldn’t be able to get this chapter done. Writer’s block is a horrid thing to have. I have already derailed from my planned outline... So... bear with me while I mess with five pages worth of outline, beat it up so that it behaves. 
> 
> Leave me a comment and tell me what you think about this chapter :)


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